Variable-speed driving mechanism.



No. 669,499. Patented Mar. 12, l90l.

n. & w. 'l". ALDRICH. VARIABLE SPEED DRIVING MECHANISM.

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No. 669,499. Patented Mar. I2, I90I. R. & W. T. ALDRICH. VARIABLE SPEEDDRIVING MECHANISM.

(Application filed May I8. 1900.) (No Model.)

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"me n ROBERT ALDRICH AND WILLIAM 'I. ALDRICH, OF MILLVILLE, MASSACHU-SETTS, ASSIGNORS TO THEMSELVES, AND FRED L. CLEVELAND AND GEORGE H.BAKER, OF \VOONSOOKET, RHODE ISLAND.

VARIABLE-SPEED DRIVING MECHANISM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 669,499, dated March12, 1901.

Application filed May 18, 1900- Serial No. 17,082. No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, ROBERT ALDRICH and WILLIAM T. ALDRICH, citizens ofthe United States, residing at Millville, in the county of Worcester andState of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Variable- SpeedDriving Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a mechanical movement for transmitting powerfrom a driving shaft to a driven shaft; and the object of this inventionis to provide a simple, durable, in-

expensive, and efficient power-transmitting mechanism which may beadjusted to secure any desired speed ratio between the speed of thedriving-shaft and the driven shaft, the parts being arranged so thatsuch adjustment may take place while the apparatus is in operation. Tothis end this invention consists of the variable-speed driving mechanismand the combinations of parts therein, as hereinafter described,and moreparticularly pointed out in the claims at the end of this specification.

In the accompanying three sheets of drawings, Figure 1 is a side. viewof a variablespeed driving mechanism constructed according to thisinvention. Fig. 2 is a detail view of the connections mounted, on thedrivingshaft, partly in section. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional viewthereof. Fig. 4is a transverse sectional view of the roller-clutch whichmay be employed for receiving motion from the connections carried by thedrivingshaft. Fig. 5 is a face view, partially in section, of

the roller-clutch with the roller-retaining ring' thereof removed; andFig. 6 is a detail View of the operating-piece for wedging the clutch-.rolls, so that the driven shaft will be turned these priorvariable-speed driving mechanisms have been objectionable becausecapable of producing only a limited number of speed variations and areincapable of producing either a gradual increase or decrease of thespeed of the driven shaft, while other forms of variable-speed drivingconnections are objectionable, as they cannot be adjusted or variedWhile running.

The especial objects of our present invention are therefore to arrangethe parts of a variable-speed driving mechanism so that they may beadjusted or varied without stopping the operation of the device and sothat they may be controlled to produce either a gradual increase ordecrease of the speed of the driven shaft without Varying the speed ofthe driving-shaft. To accomplish this purpose, the driving-shaft of avariable-speed driving mechanism constructed according to our inventionis provided with a plurality of crank-pins or eccentrics which areconnected to turn the driven shaftas, for example, through a clutchmechanismand which may be simultaneously moved in or out to vary thespeed of the driven shaft as may be required.

In certain forms of power-driven vehicles as, for example, in anautomobile which is driven by an explosive-engine or gas-engineit isessential that the engine should run at constant speed during the use ofthe automo bile and that some form of driving connection should beemployed for transmitting variable speeds to the wheels. In avariablespeed driving mechanism constructed according to our inventionthe parts are arranged to form such a compact, light, and efficientconstruction that our variable-speed driving mechanism is especiallyadapted for use in automobiles, but is also capable of use for manyother purposes.

Referring to the drawings and in detail, our variable speed drivingmechanism, as herein illustrated, comprises a driving-shaft 10, mountedon which is a pulley or rim 11. The Web or spokes of the pulley or rim11 are omitted in Figs. 1 to 3 for the sake of clearness, but may bearranged in any of the ordinary or preferred manners to connect the twosections of the driving-shaft 10. J ournaled within the rim 11,substantially at right angles to each other, are adj usting-screws 16and 17, which are threaded into nuts or arms 18 and 19, which carry theenlarged crankpins or eccentrics 20 and 21. The adjustingscrews 16 and17 are provided with bevelgears 14 and 15, meshing with bevel-gears 12and 13, which bevel-gears 12 and 13 are normally loose upon thedriving-shaft 10. By means of this construction whenever either one ofthe adjusting-screws 16 or 17 is turned to move the eccentric orcrank-pin mounted thereon in or out the other eccentric will besimultaneously shifted in or out to the same extent.

To secure the adjustment of the eccentrics or crank-pins and to shifttliem in or out, as desired, We preferably employ a rod 22, extendinginto the driving-shaft and longitudinally movable therein by means of ahandle 23. The rod 22 carries a double-faced clutchpiece 24, as shownmost clearly in Fig. 3. By means of this construction whenever theclutch-piece 24 is moved from its normal or central position either thebevel-gear 12 or the bevel-gear 13 will be locked or held from turningwith the drivingshaft 10, so that when said driving-shaft is turned theadjusting-screws 16 and 17 will act to shift the cocentric in or out, asdesired. When the cocentrics have been moved in or out to their limitsof travel, it is desirable that the clutchsection 24 should be releasedor thrown out of engagement with either of the bevel-gears 12 or 13, soas to provide a safety device for preventing the parts from being brokenor the threads of the screws from being stripped. To accomplish thispurpose, the nut or arm 19 of the eccentric 21 is provided with a pinengaging a slot in an arm or link 25, as shown most clearly in Fig. 3.The arm or link 25 is connected at its end to an arm 26, extending froma rock-shaft 27, journaled in brackets 28. Extending up from therock-shaft 27 is a yoke or fork engaging the double-faced clutch-piece24, so that by means of this construction an automatic stopping deviceisprovided for throwing out the eccentric-shifting connections wheneverthe eccentrics are at their inner or outer ends of travel.

Mounted on the adjustable crank-pins or eccentrics 20 and 21 areeccentric-straps 29 and 30, and extending rigidly from theeccentric-straps 29 and 30 are primary links 31 and 33. 31 and 33 aresecondary links 32 and 34. These primary and secondary links are eachconnected to the movable sections of a suitable clutch mechanism forturning or rotating the driven shaft, and by employing a plurality oflinks arranged in this manner we have found in practice that thecombined action of said links through the clutch mechanism will impart asubstantially uniform rotary movement to the driving-shaft.

The details of the clutch mechanism which we prefer to employ are mostclearly illustrated in the third sheet of drawings. shown in thisfigure, 36 designates the driven Pivotally connected to the primarylinks shaft. Fasten ed on the driven shaft 36 are centerclutch-pieces37. Journaled on the center clutch-pieces 37 and held inplace thereon by retaining-rings 39 are the movable clutchpieces orclutch-rings 38. Interposed between the clutch-pieces 37 and 38 arerollers 43, which are journaled in spring-pressed arms 42, carried bysleeves 40. By means of this construction when the sleeves 40 areshifted or turned the clutch-rolls will be wedged between theclutch-sections. When the clutchrolls occupy their normal or centralposition, as illustrated in Fig. 5, no connection will be establishedbetween the outer clutch-pieces and the center clutch-pieces and nomotion will be imparted to the driven shaft. When the clutch-rolls areturned or wedged in one direction between the clutch-sections, a forwardmotion will be imparted to the driven shaft, and when the sleeve isturned to wedge the clutch-rolls in the opposite direction an oppositemotion will be imparted to the driven shaft. To turn or actuate thesleeve carrying the clutch-rolls, we preferably employ anactuating-piece 44, as shown in Figs. 4and 6, which turns with but islongitudinally movable upon the driven shaft 36. The operating-piece 44is provided with cam-grooves 47, as most clearly illustrated in Fig. 6,and connecting the cam-grooves 47 are pins 41, carried by the sleeves40, the pins 41 also preferably engaging grooves in the pieces 37 forholding the sleeves in place. The operatingpiece 44 may be shifted ormoved longitudinally by an operating-handle 45.

Many changes may be made in the construction of our variable-speeddriving mechanism by those who are skilled in the art without departingfrom the scope of our invention as expressed in the claims,andvariablespeed driving mechanisms of our invention, althoughespecially adapted for use in automobiles, may be employed in manydifferent places. We do not wish, therefore, to be limited to the formof construction which we have shown and described; but

What we do claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates, is

1. The combination of a driving-shaft, a shaft to be driven, a pluralityof crank-pins or eccentrics carried by the driving-shaft, connectionstherefrom for turning the driven shaft, a screw for adjusting eacheccentric, means for simultaneously turning said screws by power to movethe eccentrics in or out to vary the speed of the driven shaft, andmeans for stopping the rotation of said screws when the eccentrics areat their inner or outer limit of travel, substantially as described.

2. The combination of a driving-shaft, a shaft to be driven, a pluralityof crank-pins or eccentrics carried by the driving-shaft, connectionstherefrom for turning the driven shaft, a screw for each eccentric,bevel-gears mounted on said screws, a pair of be vol-gears looselymounted on the driving-shaft meshing with the gears of the screws, andmeans substantially as described.

3. The combination of a driving-shaft having crank-pins or eccentrics, adriven shaft,

- a clutch mechanism on the driven shaft comprising a centralclutch-piece, outer movable clutch pieces or rings, rolls interposedbetween said clutch-pieces, a sleeve, springpressed arms in which therolls are mounted extending from said sleeve, links connecting theeccentrics with the movable clutch-pieces, and means for turning thesleeve to wedge the clutch-rolls, substantially as described.

,4. The combination of a driving-shaft, a shaft to be driven, aplurality of crank-pins or eccentrics carried by the driving-shaft,connections therefrom for turning the driven shaft, a screw foradjusting each eccentric, bevel-gears mounted on said screws, bevelgearsloosely mounted on the driving-shaft meshing with the bevel-gears ofsaid screws, and a longitudinally-movable clutch-piece for holdingeither one of the loose bevel-gears stationary to simultaneously turnsaid screws, substantially as described.

5. The combination of a driving-shaft having crank-pins or eccentrics, adriven shaft, a clutch mechanism on the driven shaft comprising a centerclutch-piece, outer movable clutch pieces or rings, rolls interposedbetween said clutch-pieces, a sleeve, springpressed arms in which therolls are mounted extending from the sleeve, an operating-piece for saidsleeve turning with and longitudinally movable on the driven shaft andhaving a cam-slot connection for turning said sleeve to Wedge theclutch-rolls, and connections from said crank-pins or eccentrics to saidclutch mechanism, substantially as described.

6. The combination of a driving-shaft, a shaft to be driven, a pluralityof crank-pins or eccentrics carried by the driving-shaft, connectionstherefrom for turning the driven shaft, a screw for adjusting eacheccentric, bevel-gears mounted on said screws, a pair of bevel-gearsloosely mounted on the driving-shaf t and meshing with the bevel-gearsof the screws, a longitudinally-movable clutchpiecefor holding eitherone of the loose bevelgears stationary to simultaneously turn saidscrews, and means for simultaneously stopping the rotation of saidscrews, comprising a link having a lost-motion connection with one ofsaid eccentrics and connected to turn a rock-shaft having a yoke forshifting said clutch-piece, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands in the presence oftwo subscribing witnesses.

ROBERT ALDRICH. WM. T. ALDRICH. Witnesses:

J. B. DAVIS, EDNA I. NOLT.

